How to Make a Hospital Birth a Natural Birth: After the Baby is Born

You'll Want to Hold Your Baby the Second that They Are Out

The time that you spend apart from your baby from the time they are born to the time that you are holding them in you arms will be determined by the birth that you have. If you had to have a c-section of course then you and the baby will have some recovery time apart, however in the case
 of having a natural birth there is no reason that you can't be holding your newborn almost instantly.

Once the baby is caught the doctor will suck any embryonic fluid out of the newborn baby's lungs. Quickly wash off the newborn baby, weigh and measure them. Then diaper them and hand them over to the mother or father. During this small amount of time it may feel like an eternity, and if you would prefer you can request to hold your baby as soon as they are born. Holding your baby is a very natural thing and there are some things that you can do while at a hospital to keep things natural for you and your baby.

Request to Hold Your Baby as Soon as Possible

When you arrive at the hospital make sure that the doctor that will be delivering your baby knows that you want to be able to hold your baby as soon as they are born. That way you can calm your baby if they are crying and wait to weigh, measure and diaper the baby. One thing that the doctor may do before they hand you the baby is suck all of the embryonic fluid out of their lungs.

No Supplements

You will want to make sure the hospital understands that you don't want your baby to have any formula. You can make cards, your hospital may have some already, that say that your baby is strictly breast-fed.

Have the Baby Sleep With You

There is no reason that the baby will need to sleep outside of your room if you have to stay overnight or want to take a nap before you go home. Insist that the baby stays in the room with you at all times.

Be Close to the Baby as Much as Possible

When it does come time for the staff to weigh, measure and diaper the baby if it is possible be near your newborn and hold his hand. If you are unable to, have the baby's daddy be with near him during this time.

Include Your Preference for Your Baby in the Birth Plan

Related information
  • The doctor may suck embryonic fluid out of the baby's lungs before they hand you the baby.
  • Be Close to the Baby as Much as Possible
  • Include Your Preference for Your Baby in the Birth Plan
 
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Excellent article. I would like to point out that if your baby has problems and needs to be taken to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), you should still be given opportunities to see and touch the baby. If the baby is too small to be breastfed, it may still be possible for him/her to be given expressed breast milk through gavage feeding. I work in a rural hospital where we don't have an NICU. We have had the NICU transport team come up from the city hospital a few times to collect babies. They literally give the parents a Polaroid snapshot of the baby before they leave. While they are not able to transport the mother (due to space in the plane), it may be possible for the mother to come that day or the next (depending on her condition) to see the baby.

Posted on 06/02/2008 at 7:06:00 PM

I am a first time mother and I am really scared I am also skeptical about whether I am going to ge an ephideral or not, but it's kind of a good experience beside the morning sickness.

Posted on 01/17/2008 at 1:01:34 PM

This is a great article.

Posted on 06/05/2007 at 6:06:00 PM

These are great suggestions that I'll keep in mind in case I end up at the hospital!!

Posted on 05/15/2007 at 10:05:00 PM

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